A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin onboard, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin launched at 10:53 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission aboard the orbital outpost. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) (NASA)
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – NASA astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut launched on a SpaceX rocket Sunday night after waiting two days for the weather to clear to begin their trip to the International Space Station.
After two weather delays, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket blasted off with the Crew Dragon spacecraft Endeavour and the Crew-8 mission astronauts on Sunday at 10:53 p.m. EST from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launchpad 39A.
Before the launch, NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin arrived in Florida a week ago and conducted a launch dress rehearsal. With the launch delays, the crew spent additional time with family before their six-month trip to the space station.
The international astronaut mission has faced multiple delays due to poor weather off the Eastern Seaboard. Weather officers were concerned about strong winds and high waves along the launch abort zone. The Crew-8 mission was initially scheduled to blast off on Friday and was delayed for a second time on Saturday.
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By Sunday night, the weather improved near the launchpad and along the Eastern Seaboard for SpaceX to launch the four-person mission into orbit.
Dominick, Barratt, Epps and Grebenkin waved goodbye to their friends and family outside the Neil Armstrong Operations and Checkout building at KSC before loading up in Teslas and riding to the launch tower.
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Family and friends gesture to NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Michael Barratt as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-8 mission launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Dominick, Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are scheduled to launch at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani) (NASA)
After taking the elevator up to the top of the rocket, the crew signed the White Room wall at the end of the crew access arm on Launchpad 39A. SpaceX said that with the Crew-8 mission, 50 space flyers had signed the wall.
At the end of the countdown, the Falcon 9 launched, carrying the astronaut crew into orbit using 1.7 million pounds of thrust, propelling the vehicle into space.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin onboard, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin launched at 10:53 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission aboard the orbital outpost. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the company's Dragon spacecraft is launched on NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin onboard, as seen in this composite of two 3 minute exposures, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Dominick, Barratt, Epps, and Grebenkin launched at 10:53 p.m. EST from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center to begin a six month mission aboard the orbital outpost. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, NASA astronauts Jeanette Epps, Matthew Dominick, and Michael Barratt speak with family and friends as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-8 mission launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. Dominick, Barratt, Epps, Grebenkin are scheduled to launch at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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The Dragon Endeavour capsule awaits liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida with three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut beginning the Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. (Image: SpaceX)
(SpaceX)
From left to right, NASA associate administrator Jim Free, NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson, Director of NASA’s Johnson Space Center Vanessa Wyche, and NASA deputy associate administrator Casey Swails are seen as NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, and Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, wave as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-8 mission launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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Family and friends gesture to NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Michael Barratt as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A to board the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft for the Crew-8 mission launch, Sunday, March 3, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission is the eighth crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency’s Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Dominick, Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin are scheduled to launch at 10:53 p.m. EST on Sunday, March 3, from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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From left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-8 mission launch, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
From left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-8 mission launch, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo Credit: (NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
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2023 FILE: NASA astronaut and SpaceX Crew-8 mission specialist Jeanette Epps is pictured in her pressure suit during a crew equipment integration test at SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, California. Credit: SpaceX
(SpaceX)
Photo of the crew members SpaceX 8 mission. Mission Specialist Aleksandr Grebenkin (Roscosmos), Commander Michael Barratt (NASA), Pilot Matthew Dominick (NASA) and Mission Specialist Jeanette Epps (NASA)
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The Crew-8 mission marks the eighth operation mission of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the ninth SpaceX launch carrying NASA astronauts since 2020.
This is the fifth trip to the ISS and human spaceflight for Dragon Endeavour. Ahead of the flight, NASA and SpaceX teams took additional time to ensure the capsule was safe to fly.
The NASA-Roscosmos crew is set to arrive at the International Space Station (ISS) on Tuesday morning, setting in motion a busy time in orbit this spring.
While Crew-8 launched to the ISS, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is undergoing testing downrange at Cape Canaveral to launch the Boeing Starliner and two NASA astronauts in April.
"On the heels of Crew-8 for us and Crew-7 in return, we have the CFT, the crewed flight test mission, the flight test with Butch and Suni," NASA Commercial Crew Program Manager Steve Stich said of Boeing's first astronaut launch with Suni Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore.
The Crew-7 astronauts will prepare to return to Earth shortly after the new astronauts arrive. After six months on the ISS, the Crew-8 astronauts will return to Earth in the fall.